Rewilding Our Waterways: Don’t Forget the Fish...
“While much of rewilding focuses on terrestrial landscapes, our lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams have been equally compromised. Water pollution, dams, culverts, bridges, riprap, cattle- and ORV-beaten banks, damaged riparian areas, and other human-related intrusions are easy to see and address. Unfortunately, fish are not easy to see, which often leaves them unaddressed...”
NFC Executive Director Bob Mallard talks wild native fish with The Rewilding Institute. The Rewilding Institute’s mission is to advance continental-scale conservation and restoration in North America and beyond. They focus on large carnivores and protecting and connecting wild lands. Bob wanted to make sure that while doing so, they didn’t forget the fish…
The Rewilding Institute was founded by conservation icon Dave Foreman. From his early work with Wilderness Society, to co-founding Earth First! in 1980, to co-founding New Mexico Wilderness Alliance in 1997, to founding The Rewilding Institute is 2003, Foreman wore many hats while coming full circle in regard to how he approached conservation advocacy.
Mallard points out how many well-meaning conservation organizations barely mention fish, and often when they do it is incorrect and/or inaccurate. And as we know, fish conservation organizations haven’t always gotten it right either with too much focus on gamefish, not enough focus on nongame fish, a tolerance, or worse a defense, of nonnative fish, and a fishing versus fish centric message.
“While we continue to improve aquatic and riparian habitat, we often fail to address what should and shouldn’t live there. This needs to change, and that is what groups like Native Fish Coalition are trying to do...”
Wild native cutthroat have been greatly reduced in many Western wilderness areas due to the introduction of nonnative rainbow trout and brown trout…
Wild native brook trout have faced the same challenges in Eastern wilderness areas, with nonnative bass and muskies added to nonnative trout…